A US-based Volkswagen AG executive who oversaw emissions issues has been sentenced to seven years in prison and fined $US400,000 for his role in a diesel emissions scandal that has cost the German automaker as much as $US30 billion.

The prison sentence and fine for the executive, Oliver Schmidt, were the maximum possible under a plea deal that the German national struck with prosecutors in August after admitting to charges of conspiring to mislead US regulators and violate clean-air laws.

"It is my opinion that you are a key conspirator in this scheme to defraud the United States," US district judge Sean Cox of Detroit told Schmidt in court.

Schmidt read a written statement in court acknowledging his guilt and broke down when discussing his family's sacrifices on his behalf since his arrest in January.

"I made bad decisions and for that I am sorry," he said.

US Department of Justice trial attorney Benjamin Singer argued in court that Schmidt was "part of the decision making process" at VW to hide a scheme to fake vehicle emissions results and had opportunities tell regulators the truth.

"Every time he chose to lie," Mr Singer said.http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-12-07/volkswagen-executive-gets-seven-years-jail-over-emissions-fraud/9234716

Too bad for Schmidt that he wasn't tried over here, cause the SOOOOWEEE defence would have kept him out of jail.